Kevin Aylward
Encyclopedia
Kevin Aylward is a Canadian politician in Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
. He has served as leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
since August 14, 2011. Aylward was first elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
in the 1985 election
and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Clyde Wells
, Brian Tobin
, Beaton Tulk
and Roger Grimes
. Aylward did not seek re-election in the 2003 election
.
Upon the resignation of Liberal leader Yvonne Jones
on August 9, 2011, 62 days before the provincial election
, Aylward ran in the leadership race
to succeed her. Five days after Jones' resignation Aylward was chosen as party leader in a field of seven candidates.
(MHA) in the 1985 provincial election
. He held several cabinet portfolios in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Environment and Labour, Forest Resources and Agrifoods, Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and Environment.
Aylward was one of the seven politicians who sat on the province’s Internal Economy Commission (IEC) in 2000. During that time, the IEC decided to remove the auditor general
from auditing the House of Assembly’s financial records and allowed MHA expense claims to be approved without full documentation. This decision, which was reversed under the Progressive Conservative
government several years later, led to a spending scandal that saw millions of public dollars misused and led to jail time for four former MHAs, and a businessman.
In 2007, auditor general John Noseworthy
announced that Aylward had made inappropriate personal claims with his constituency allowance. Aylward claimed $618 for tickets to a Juno Awards ceremony, as well as $4,419 in airfare for his children.
On the night that Aylward was selected as leader his chief rival for the leadership, Bern Coffey, left the news conference soon after Aylward was named leader. Coffey had planned on seeking the Liberal nomination in St. John's East
, but stated he would meet with Aylward later that week and that depending on how the meeting went he would think about running in that district. Rodney Martin, who also ran for the leadership, said that while he would not rule out running in the election he would have a tough time running under Aylward. Leadership candidates Ryan Lane and Brad Cabana have been nominated to run under the party's banner in October. Three days after he was selected as leader the party's candidate for Terra Nova
announced he would not be running for the party any longer because he did not agree with the direction the party was heading in under Aylward's leadership.
On October 26, 2011, Aylward announced his resignation as Leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party.
(PC) and the New Democratic Party
(NDP). A Corporate Research Associates (CRA) poll conducted immediately after Aylward became leader showed the party's support was at 22%, compared to 24% for the NDP and 54% for the Progressive Conservatives. Another poll conducted by MarketQuest Omnifacts Research (MQO), the weekend before the dropping of the writ
for the election, showed that the Liberals were supported by 18%, 11 points behind the NDP who were at 29%. The PC Party held a large lead over both parties at 53%. Aylward's personal popularity also lagged behind NDP leader Lorraine Michael
and PC leader Kathy Dunderdale
in both polls. 16% of respondents in the CRA poll thought Michael was the best choice to be premier, while 14% of those surveyed in the MQO poll thought he was the best choice. After a controversial statement by a Liberal candidate and after Aylward's performance in the September 28, televised leaders debate, an MQO poll released on September 30, showed that the Liberal Party's support continued to fall. Support for the Liberals had fallen by 5 points to 13%, 20 points lower behind the NDP who moved up to 33%. The PC Party moved up 1 point to 54%, while 18% remained undecided. When it came to the best choice for premier only 11% thought Aylward was the best choice, compared to 27% who thought Michael was and 62% who though Dunderdale was. Only 6% of those polled thought Aylward was the winner of the debate.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He has served as leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a political party in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and the provincial wing of the Liberal Party of Canada. It is the Official Opposition and currently holds six seats in the provincial legislature.-Origins:The party originated in...
since August 14, 2011. Aylward was first elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St...
in the 1985 election
Newfoundland general election, 1985
The 41st Newfoundland general election was held on 2 April 1985 to elect members of the 40th General Assembly of Newfoundland, the 12th general election for the province of Newfoundland, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party.-Results:...
and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Clyde Wells
Clyde Wells
Clyde Kirby Wells, QC was the fifth Premier of Newfoundland and was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1999 to March 2009...
, Brian Tobin
Brian Tobin
Brian Vincent Tobin, PC is a Canadian businessman and former politician. Tobin served as the sixth Premier of Newfoundland from 1996 to 2000. Tobin was also a prominent Member of Parliament and served as a Cabinet Minister in Jean Chrétien's Liberal government.- Early life, education, and family...
, Beaton Tulk
Beaton Tulk
Beaton Tulk was an educator, civil servant, politician and the seventh Premier of Newfoundland.Born in Ladle Cove, Newfoundland, Tulk resides in St. John's. He graduated from Memorial University with BA, B.Ed, and Master of Educational Administration degrees. He also later obtained a Canadian...
and Roger Grimes
Roger Grimes
Roger D. Grimes is a Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Grimes was born and raised in the central Newfoundland town of Grand Falls-Windsor....
. Aylward did not seek re-election in the 2003 election
Newfoundland and Labrador general election, 2003
The 46th Newfoundland and Labrador general election was held on October 21, 2003, to elect the 48 members of the 45th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the 17th general election for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
.
Upon the resignation of Liberal leader Yvonne Jones
Yvonne Jones
Yvonne Jones is a Canadian politician and former leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. She currently represents the riding of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, and was one of only three Liberal incumbents re-elected in the province's...
on August 9, 2011, 62 days before the provincial election
Newfoundland and Labrador general election, 2011
The 48th Newfoundland and Labrador general election occurred on October 11, 2011, to elect members of the 47th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the 19th election for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
, Aylward ran in the leadership race
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador leadership election, August 2011
The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador leadership election, August 2011 was prompted by Yvonne Jones' announcement that she would be stepping down as Liberal leader, once her successor was chosen, due to health reasons...
to succeed her. Five days after Jones' resignation Aylward was chosen as party leader in a field of seven candidates.
Politics
Aylward was first elected as a Member of the House of AssemblyMember of the House of Assembly
A Member of the House of Assembly is a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in Canada.Other Provinces and TerritoriesMembers of other Canadian provincial and territorial assemblies employ the titles:...
(MHA) in the 1985 provincial election
Newfoundland general election, 1985
The 41st Newfoundland general election was held on 2 April 1985 to elect members of the 40th General Assembly of Newfoundland, the 12th general election for the province of Newfoundland, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party.-Results:...
. He held several cabinet portfolios in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Environment and Labour, Forest Resources and Agrifoods, Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and Environment.
Aylward was one of the seven politicians who sat on the province’s Internal Economy Commission (IEC) in 2000. During that time, the IEC decided to remove the auditor general
Auditor General of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Auditor General of Newfoundland and Labrador is appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council and confirmed by a resolution of the House of Assembly...
from auditing the House of Assembly’s financial records and allowed MHA expense claims to be approved without full documentation. This decision, which was reversed under the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
For pre-1949 Conservative parties see Conservative parties in Newfoundland The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a centre-right provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Originally founded in 1949 the party has formed the Government of...
government several years later, led to a spending scandal that saw millions of public dollars misused and led to jail time for four former MHAs, and a businessman.
In 2007, auditor general John Noseworthy
John Noseworthy
John L. Noseworthy is a Canadian accountant and politician who served as Auditor General of Newfoundland and Labrador from April 25, 2002 till July 30, 2011...
announced that Aylward had made inappropriate personal claims with his constituency allowance. Aylward claimed $618 for tickets to a Juno Awards ceremony, as well as $4,419 in airfare for his children.
Environment Minister
Aylward held the Environment portfolio on several occasions. He was sworn into cabinet in 1994 as Minister of the Environment in the Clyde Wells government, and in 1996 Premier Brian Tobin appointed him the Minister of Environment and Labour. After holding several other portfolios between 1997 and 2002, he was once again sworn in as Environment Minister under Premier Roger Grimes.Leader
On August 12, 2011, Aylward unexpectedly put his name forward for the leadership of Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. On August 14, the executives of the party chose Aylward as leader of the party, over six other candidates, citing his experience as a former MHA and cabinet minister as a key reason for selecting him.On the night that Aylward was selected as leader his chief rival for the leadership, Bern Coffey, left the news conference soon after Aylward was named leader. Coffey had planned on seeking the Liberal nomination in St. John's East
St. John's East (provincial electoral district)
St. John's East is a provincial electoral district for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2011 there are 8,063 eligible voters living within the district....
, but stated he would meet with Aylward later that week and that depending on how the meeting went he would think about running in that district. Rodney Martin, who also ran for the leadership, said that while he would not rule out running in the election he would have a tough time running under Aylward. Leadership candidates Ryan Lane and Brad Cabana have been nominated to run under the party's banner in October. Three days after he was selected as leader the party's candidate for Terra Nova
Terra Nova (electoral district)
Terra Nova is a provincial electoral district for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2011 there were 8,425 eligible voters within the district....
announced he would not be running for the party any longer because he did not agree with the direction the party was heading in under Aylward's leadership.
On October 26, 2011, Aylward announced his resignation as Leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party.
Public opinion
Upon becoming party leader, public opinion polls showed that the Liberal Party had fallen to third place, for the first time in its history, behind the Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
For pre-1949 Conservative parties see Conservative parties in Newfoundland The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a centre-right provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Originally founded in 1949 the party has formed the Government of...
(PC) and the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The party is the successor to the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Newfoundland Democratic Party...
(NDP). A Corporate Research Associates (CRA) poll conducted immediately after Aylward became leader showed the party's support was at 22%, compared to 24% for the NDP and 54% for the Progressive Conservatives. Another poll conducted by MarketQuest Omnifacts Research (MQO), the weekend before the dropping of the writ
Dropping the writ
Dropping the writ is the informal term for a procedure in some parliamentary government systems, where the head of government goes to the head of state and formally advises him or her to dissolve parliament...
for the election, showed that the Liberals were supported by 18%, 11 points behind the NDP who were at 29%. The PC Party held a large lead over both parties at 53%. Aylward's personal popularity also lagged behind NDP leader Lorraine Michael
Lorraine Michael
Lorraine Michael, MHA is a social democratic Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Since 2006 Michael has been the leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party . She is a former nun, teacher, and social activist...
and PC leader Kathy Dunderdale
Kathy Dunderdale
Kathleen Mary Margaret "Kathy" Dunderdale MHA is a Canadian politician and the tenth and current Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, having served in this capacity since December 3, 2010...
in both polls. 16% of respondents in the CRA poll thought Michael was the best choice to be premier, while 14% of those surveyed in the MQO poll thought he was the best choice. After a controversial statement by a Liberal candidate and after Aylward's performance in the September 28, televised leaders debate, an MQO poll released on September 30, showed that the Liberal Party's support continued to fall. Support for the Liberals had fallen by 5 points to 13%, 20 points lower behind the NDP who moved up to 33%. The PC Party moved up 1 point to 54%, while 18% remained undecided. When it came to the best choice for premier only 11% thought Aylward was the best choice, compared to 27% who thought Michael was and 62% who though Dunderdale was. Only 6% of those polled thought Aylward was the winner of the debate.